Unexpected Miracle
by DebaterChick
Summary: Eponine's life takes an unexpected turn when she ends up pregnant after a drunken mistake. She has to deal with the hardships that bombard her all the while trying to keep it secret from everyone including the father. I suck at summaries.. SORRY! Eponine and Enjolras.
1. Chapter 1

**Unexpected Miracle**

**A/N: Hello! For starters, I would just like to thank you all for even clicking on this story. I'm actually really excited that I've finally gotten this up and I'm extremely excited to see how you react to it, negatively or positively alike, so let me know what you think. The next thing that I'd like to say is that this is going to be a more modern AU, so it will be less like the movie/play/book. And finally, because I feel this necessary so you can picture the characters (I WILL DESCRIBE THEM IN THE STORY DON'T WORRY), Aaron Tveit will be the model I use for Enjolras and Samantha Barks will be the model I use for Eponine. Thanks! And enjoy, or not your choice, but please read and review. **

**Disclaimer: I don't, as much as I'd like to, own Les Miserables or any of the characters. Nor will I ever. **

**Chapter 1: **

**EPONINE**

"Oh. My. God." The words that fell from my lips echoed in the empty bathroom, seemingly bouncing off of the empty white walls, as I stared down at the tiny stick I held in my shanking hand that was now sporting a bright pink plus sign. A mixture of emotions surged through my brain as I picked up the box on the counter, praying the plus sign didn't mean what I knew for a fact that it did. _Positive, _the word seemed like a foreign language, and I just couldn't believe it. How had this happened?! Memories I had carefully tucked away into the crevices of my brain began to seep through my mind, despite my internal battle to keep them at bay, memories washed over me.

_It was cool out. The sky was dark, and stars filled the black blanket that hung above. The temperature of the night was steadily dropping as the milky moon rose higher and higher into the sky, splattering everything in sight in a pale white light. The sweet scent of flowers flooded my nostrils as I walked through the pretty garden, listening to the quiet hum of music that floated out the open doors of the house behind me. People were dancing, enjoying a fun night of festivities, and all I could think about was being outside to get some air and the drink I carried in my hand. _

_I walked along the pathway, my eyes following the tops of the trees along the sky. The stars spackled the darkness, more seeming to appear every second. My shoes clicked on the cobblestones, and I looked back at the house to see lights spilling out onto the green grass. Laughter flitted out the doors with the music, the mixture making a chill of envy travel up my spine. This night had been a disaster. I had come to Marius' house in hopes of winning him back, despite the fact that we were supposed to be celebrating his engagement to Cosette._

_Even as I walked along, my heart was breaking into a thousand tiny pieces. I had dressed up, managed myself into a silver dress I had been saving for a special occasion for years, and still he didn't notice me. I had washed and done my hair, twisted it up into an elegant French twist. I had put on a string of pearls that I had managed to keep hidden from my father for years; the off white contrasted against my mocha skin and the silver fabric of the dress. The soft material flowed down around my knees, exposing—for the first time in a long time—my legs. Still, even as I looked the part of a noblewoman, Marius had not even given me a passing glance. _

_I sighed and continued to walk, my eyes scanning the garden before me. It didn't take long for my eyes to fall on a bench on the far end of the property. I made my way over, for my feet were killing me and I ached to sit down. I sauntered over to the bench, letting out a breath of relief as I let myself sink down onto the wooden bench. I sat and stared back at the house from which I'd just come. People danced past the window, swirling and breaking the light that dappled the grass. _

"_Hey, Eponine." A familiar voice said off to my right. Instinctively, I flinched away from the voice, but turned to look at the male speaking to me. My brow furrowed as I looked at the fearless revolutionary that was now staggering across the walk towards where I was sitting. _

"_Hello, Monsieur." I said curiously as he approached the bench. I analyzed him, my eyes skimming from the wild dirty-blonde curls atop his head to his polished shoes covering his toes. I stopped to analyze his infamous revolution pin, loyally pinned to the collar of his suit jacket. I moved my eyes back up his body to his ocean blue eyes. "You're staggering. Are you drunk?" I asked, recognizing the stench of alcohol on him. _

_He chuckled, a sound I had never heard before. "Grantaire kind of poured something down my throat, sh-said that I needed to loo-shen up." He hiccupped and excused himself for his less than perfect manners. I smiled as his consideration, and motioned for him to join me on the bench. Though I had rarely shared conversations with him that weren't arguments, I figured drunk-Enjolras would be a bit more entertaining than regular Enjolras. _

"_That's quite alright." I answered, my voice quiet, and finishing off the drink I still held. "So why'd you leave the party?" I asked trying to make conversation so the atmosphere that hung above us wouldn't be too horribly awkward. _

"_It wasn't really my thing. I was only here to sh-support Marius." He paused, his bright blue eyes scanning my face, judging my reaction to hearing Marius' name. Everyone, included Enjolras with whom I always fought, knew of my feelings for Marius, and knew exactly how hard being here was for me. The fact that Enjolras, the stone-hearted Apollo planning on leading us to our deaths, was worried about my feelings was unnerving. _

_I forced a nervous chuckle, hoping to break a little bit of the tension that had been created when he decided to sit there and stare at me. "I can hear his name." I said quietly. "I'm doing better," I insisted, not really sure if I was trying more to convince him or myself. "I've come to terms with the fact that Marius and I are just friends. That's all we'll ever be." Even as I said the words, my heart was breaking. I felt the tears well up behind my eyelids, and I fought to keep them at bay, refusing to let anyone—least of all Enjolras—see me cry. _

_He smiled sadly, and scooted a fraction of an inch closer to me on the bench. "Pontmercy is an absolute fool, Eponine. You're smart, and beautiful. You're not afraid to speak your mind, and you know how to look out for yourself. You're not some pampered poodle, a pretty little lark who is afraid to think for herself. Eponine, if Marius can't see that you're ten times better than Cosette, he's abosolutely blind."_

_I knew it was probably the alcohol in his system doing the talking; I knew it was probably him trying to comfort me by telling me things he knew would make me blush and feel a little bit better, but even as my brain fought to convince me of this, I felt my stomach flutter at the words that fell from his lips. Never, in my entire life, had anyone said anything so heartfelt to me, least of all Marius. I felt my hands begin to shake, and realized the alcohol that I had poured into my system earlier that same night had left me vulnerable. _

"_You're just saying that," I said softly. "Thank you, but please… don't say things you don't mean." I smiled at him patted his knee awkwardly, trying to keep the conversation in a topic area that I felt safe discussing. _

"_No, Eponine." He said furrowing his brow at me, and I realized that he was concentrating very hard on his words, trying his best not to slur them. "I meant everything that I said. Please, come inside and dance with me. Forget about Marius, enjoy yourself. You owe yourself a bit of happiness." _

"_You're insanely good handling alcohol," I said trying to switch topics. We were getting into a grey area where I definitely didn't feel comfortable, but before I could successfully change the topic of discussion, Enjolras was leaning forward, brushing his lips over mine. His hands traveled gently up my goosebump-covered arms and rested softly on my shoulder. _

_I couldn't help but sink into the kiss, pressing my lips more fervently to his. I had been kissed multiple times before, but never like this. Never in this sweet embrace, in a gentle manner. The kisses I had received had been forced, something I had never asked for, nor wanted. However, this kiss felt ten times different than any of those. I felt in control, and I realized that I actually liked the feel of his lips on mine. Again, I realized it was probably the alcohol talking to him, whispering to him to do these things to make me feel better. I also realized, the alcohol was talking to me, telling me to let him do this, let him soothe the broken parts of me, even just for one night. _

_Before I knew it, we were staggering out of the garden, off of the Pontmercy property, out into the streets of Paris to find Enjolras' one-roomed flat. I hadn't been inclined to disagree when he whispered sweetly against my skin to come home with him. As we stumbled through the door, I met his lips with mine hungrily before he even shut the door behind us. He pulled the door shut and I urged him softly over to the couch, where we fell onto the cushions, our lips still connected, hands running all over one another's body. _

_The next morning I woke up in his bed with my head on his bare chest, his arm tucked gently around me as he slept soundly. My head pounded, and I longed to move, confused about what had happened the night before. I moved cautiously, concerned that I would wake him, but every second my head kept telling me to get up faster, and get out of there. He began to stir as I peeled myself gently away from him. _

"_Eponine?!" He said as his eyes fluttered open. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, as though he thought he was dreaming. "What- What are you doing here?!" _

"_I have no idea," I answered truthfully. "I'll go. Let's never, ever, ever speak of this again. Agreed?" I said before rushing out the door. _

_Before I sprinted away, I heard him mutter an "Agreed," in a sleepy tone. _

Pounding on the wooden bathroom door shook me out of my memories, the very memories that I had tried so hard to keep locked away in the depths of my brain. "Eponine!" My roommate's angry voice matched the pummel of her fists on the door. "You've been in there for a really long time. I have to get ready to go to work!" She pounded harder on the door, making the glass on the mirror in front of me quiver.

"Dawn," I said loudly, waiting for her to stop hitting the wood before continuing. "Calm down. I'm coming out." I sucked a deep breath into my lungs and threw the box on the counter away before unlocking the door to see my roommate with her hands on her hips and a flustered expression on her face. However, the minute her hunter green eyes fell on me, her expression was immediately replaced with concern.

"What's wrong, Ep?" She asked, her eyes falling to the test in my hand. "Are you-?" She gasped when I nodded my head. "Eponine!" She shrieked. "Who's the father? It's not- is it?!"

I shushed her, reading her thoughts, slightly offended that she would even think of such a thing. "No. It's not Marius." I said slowly. "It's Enjolras."

….

**Hey guys!? So what did you think of the first Chapter? Please let me know. It's definitely not my best work.. But I'm hoping that it will be better as I go. And maybe, I'll go back and redo this chapter in a bit. You never know. Also, Expect an Update for this story, and Boy Meets Girl VERY, VERY soon! Thanks Review, okay!?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry! I meant to get this up Saturday, but then I got sidetracked with homework and life in general. Therefore, since I intended to get this up sooner and then failed miserably, I will give you two chapters today. Thank you so much for the reviews! They meant a lot to me. Let me know what you guys think. It helps me to improve the story and my writing. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I STILL DON'T OWN LES MISERABLES. I NEVER WILL. All rights to their owners!**

**Chapter 2: **

**EPONINE**

_***Short Recap***_

"_What's wrong, Ep?" She asked, her eyes falling to the test in my hand. "Are you-?" She gasped when I nodded my head. "Eponine!" She shrieked. "Who's the father? It's not- is it?!"_

_I shushed her, reading her thoughts, slightly offended that she would even think of such a thing. "No. It's not Marius." I said slowly. "It's Enjolras."_

I watched as her eyes scanned over my face slowly, her jaw dropping as his name fell from my lips like molasses. I stood in silence as she analyzed my features; her hunter green eyes skimming over my face as concern flooded her every feature. "You're sure?" She asked her voice barely audible. I nodded my head meekly, a mix of emotions flowing through my veins. "When?"

"Marius' Engagement Celebration…" I said ashamedly, looking down at my hands slowly.

"Eponine… How are you going to tell him?" She asked shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

Confusion washed over my thoughts. I had barely had time to comprehend the fact that the test had turned up positive, let alone how Enjolras would react to finding out. I hadn't even thought about if I was going to tell him or not. "I'm not. He doesn't need to know. It's my problem," –though I felt uncomfortable using the word problem…- "I will deal with this. I can't possibly burden him with this." I said. I pushed past her gently, heading directly for my bedroom to get ready for the day. I had to be at the café for my shift in less than a half hour.

"Eponine," Dawn said, following me and forgetting her endeavor to get into the bathroom just moments before. "What do you mean not going to tell him?"

I sighed stepping into my bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind myself, for I knew that Dawn was right on my heels. "Simply that." I answered stepping over to my apron hanging on the closet door. "I'm not going to tell him. I don't need to trouble him with this." He had so much on his plate; he didn't need to deal with this, too. "We agreed we'd never speak about that night again, and I fully intend to keep that agreement." In all honesty, we hadn't spoken at all since the morning I'd bolted from his living room.

She sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "Ep.." She said softly. "He deserves to know. You need to tell him."

I sighed again, tying my apron around my waist and turning to face her. "He wouldn't want to know, Dawn. He wouldn't believe me anyway. He doesn't need to know, so I'm not going to tell him." I glanced down at the apron around my waist, and realized that work was calling. "Now, If you'll excuse me, I have to go. Please, just drop it Dawn. I'll figure out what to do." I gave her a quick hug before hustling out the door so I could get to the Café Musain right down the block.

I hustled in the door, earning myself some weird looks from some of the customers. I stepped up behind the counter, pinning my black nametag onto the strap of my dark green apron and pulling my chocolate brown curls into a ponytail. I plastered on a smile, and watched as my first customer for the shift approached the counter. "Hello, what can I get for you today?" I asked with the sweetest voice I could possibly muster.

"Coffee, black." He grunted digging around in his pocket for a few coins. He tossed them on the counter and glared at me expectantly. I slowly slid the coins off the counter into my hand, put them into the cash register, and then turned around to fix his order. As I was waiting for the pre-brewed coffee to warm, I heard the unmistakable scrape of heels across the floor approaching the counter. Tossing a glance over my shoulder, I saw someone I didn't really want to see sashaying her way up the counter.

"Eponine," She called, waving as she stepped up beside the other man. I grabbed the now warm coffee, poured it into a cup, put on the lid, and turned around to give it to the man who was waiting impatiently for his order. She was leaning gently on the counter and I analyzed her face warily.

"Hello, Cosette. What can I get for you?" I asked, my voice dripping with feigned cheerfulness.

"I'll have some peppermint tea." She said flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder dramatically. I turned around to make it, but she wasn't done speaking. "Also, Come up after your shift," She said looking up to the ceiling where one could hear the happenings of the boys I had come to call mostly family. "I have something to tell everyone."

I sighed and made her order as quickly as I possibly could. My mind was buzzing around what it was that she could possibly tell the group that was so important that I had to be there for it. Instead of pondering about it, I pushed the cup gently into her hands right after she dropped a few coins onto the counter. "Keep the change." She said smiling and turning to head up the stairs, purposefully swishing her body as she moved, attracting the stares of other men in the café. I shook my head and turned back to my work, plastering on a smile for the next people to approach the counter.

My shift wore steadily on, the morning slowly turning into afternoon. After what seemed like an eternity, the other employee to manage the counter showed up for her shift and I was able to untie my apron from around my waist and head for home. I nodded in her direction, greeting her as I took off my nametag and put it in the drawer beside the cash register so it wouldn't get lost back at my apartment. "Hey," I said in passing. "It's a rough night for tips. You'll have to turn up the charm." I tossed over my shoulder as I headed up the stairs.

I heard her mutter a "thanks for the warning" to my retreating back as I made my way up the stairs. My eardrums were bombarded with noise as I reached the top of the stairs, bringing a wary smile to my face. I watched as Marius toyed with Cosette's hair as she sat atop his lap as though it was a royal perch. Enjolras was in the corner talking to Courferyrac, who looked exceptionally bored about the topic they were discussing. Grantaire sat at a table with a bottle in his hand, making drunken remarks to Marius halfway across the room.

"Ep!" He called when he saw me, raising his bottle to his lips again. "You're finally here!"

I couldn't help but laugh at his drunken stupor, and watched as he wobbled out of his chair. I looked over to Cosette. "What's this announcement that you have to make?" I said slowly, watching Marius snake his arm around her waist protectively. A sick feeling dropped into the pit of my stomach, but I managed to swallow it off.

She stood up from her perch, and clapped her hands together happily, attracting everyone's—including R's—eyes. "We've figured out a date for the wedding!" She squealed. "Two months from today, You will be looking at Mrs. Marius Pontmercy! Isn't that great!?"

**I've reread this chapter a few times… And I really don't know if I like it or not. It's mostly just a filler chapter. I assure you the story will pick up from here. The next chapter will be more interesting, and definitely have more plot and character development. So.. Anyway.. I may go back and revise this chapter, I'm not quite sure yet. Tell me what you think of it now, and that will determine whether or not I change anything. Please and Thank you! Also. I would just like to Thank those of you who have reviewed one more time! It means a lot! Anyway, on to the next chapter. I will get it up a bit later today. More likely after school, but still! ENJOY! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! As promised, here is the second chapter for today. I figure I won't waste your time with a super long Author's Note, so I'm going to move right into the story! Read and Review please! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Les Miserables. **

**Chapter 3**

**EPONINE**

*Short Recap*

_She stood up from her perch, and clapped her hands together happily, attracting everyone's—including R's—eyes. "We've figured out a date for the wedding!" She squealed. "Two months from today, You will be looking at Mrs. Marius Pontmercy! Isn't that great!?" _

Cosette looked directly at me expectantly, her bright blue eyes shining as though she wanted me to burst out in cheers. Her words rang painfully in my ears, and suddenly I couldn't breathe. It was as though someone was sitting on my chest, making it impossible to suck air into my lungs. They were actually going through with it; Marius and Cosette were actually getting married. There was no chance for Marius to notice me as anything more than a friend.

The thought made me sick. I couldn't believe it. I had followed Marius around like a lost puppy for as long as I could remember, always doing things for him simply because he had asked, and he still didn't see me. I shook myself out of my mindless stare and forced a smile to my face.

"That's great, Cosette." I said, fighting to keep my voice from wavering. "I'm happy for you guys. Congratulations." I tried uselessly to keep the smile on my face and the cheerful tone in my voice. I failed miserably, and I felt the smile fall from my lips. I looked around the room to find everyone looking at me sadly. I wanted to ease their minds, tell them that I was fine, but in truth I wasn't fine. My heart was breaking with every second that ticked by, and both Marius and Cosette were blind to what their happiness did to me.

Without warning, Cosette stepped forward and grabbed my hands. An uncomfortable feeling spread through my abdomen, shooting through my veins at the soft touch of her hands. "Eponine, I want you to be the maid of honor." She said slowly, her voice soft.

Confusion muddled my brain, and I jerked my hands away without thinking about it. The temperature of my skin rose, my cheeks on fire, burning as though a fire spread through every vein in my body, scorching every cell. "What?" I asked my throat running dry. "Why me?" She looked at me as though I was senseless, as though I didn't understand what she had just said. In response she laughed softly and smiled at me.

"I want you to be my maid of honor." She repeated, this time slowly as though she though I couldn't comprehend what was going on, what she was saying.

"I heard." I said slowly. "I—I don't know if you'd want that." I couldn't picture myself at their wedding in the first place. Let alone standing up at the alter with them, wishing them a lifetime of happiness. I couldn't be up there. My insides were uncomfortable even thinking about them being joined in marriage, and they seared at the thought of being up there and being part of their wedding. My stomach churned at the thought.

She giggled it off, hitting my shoulder playfully. "Of course I want that, Eponine." Her voice was soft, and she pulled me into a stiff hug. "You're my best friend." She whispered softly. "Besides, without you, Marius and I wouldn't be together. I want you up there with me."

My stomach churned, and I realized that she was right. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't be together, they wouldn't have met, and they definitely wouldn't be getting married. If I had refused to deliver Marius' letters, if I had refused to lead the way to her house, if I had refused things would be much different. If things were different, maybe Marius would have seen me standing always in the background vying for his attention. My head spun around the idea, and my vision began to blur my thoughts were making me so dizzy. I simply nodded at Cosette and extracted myself from her grasp.

"I'll be there," I said suddenly feeling very sick to my stomach. "I'd better get home though. Dawn will be worried. I was supposed to come right home after my shift." I said starting to back up toward the stairs, earning a few suspicious looks from the boys, and a confused look from Cosette.

"Oh okay, Eponine." She said smiling softly. "I'll see you tomorrow." I nodded and turned toward the stairs, my head screaming at me to retreat faster, but my feet were refusing to move fast enough. I moved down the stairs as swiftly as my feet would carry me, panic surging though my veins. I felt helpless as I moved through the cluttered tables on the bottom floor of the café. I hurried out the door, my lungs craving the sweet taste of fresh air. I stepped out onto the street and over into the alley behind the café, it was the only short cut I knew to my apartment.

As soon as I stepped into the alley, the thoughts that had disarrayed my brain all day bombarded my every sense, and tears threatened to spill over. Emotion took over me, thinking about Marius, _my _Marius, marrying Cosette, the young lark I had grown up with. Hormones raged through my veins, causing every sense to be heightened and the emotional turmoil was ten times worse than it should be.

I slouched against the wall of the café, letting the hot tears streak down my face, and loathing myself for showing such a reaction. The way I had grown up, crying was seen as a weakness, an opening to be hurt. I grew up learning never to grow attached to someone, and yet I had become attached to Marius, opening myself up for heartbreak. A stupid move on my part. Realization of my stupidity, caused the tears to be less made of sadness and more made up of rage. I was angry at myself for falling in love, angry at Marius for falling for Cosette, angry with Cosette for failing to see how much I truly loved Marius.

I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths to soothe the tears. I was so focused on trying to rid myself of the tears I didn't even hear footsteps approaching me. "Eponine?" A familiar voice to my right said, causing my eyes to shoot open in panic. I looked to the direction of the voice and saw the person that I least expected to see.

"Enjolras?" My voice was almost a whisper. I wiped the tears quickly away from my eyes, ashamed that he had seen the tears falling down my cheeks. "What are you doing out here?"

"To see if you're alright," he said stepping closer awkwardly. "You were acting funny.." He let the sentence hang in the air between us.

Immediately the words "I'm fine," spilled from my lips without even a glimmer of a thought passing through my mind. I knew it was a downright lie, and I had no idea why I had told it. I didn't want him to know that I was taking this as hard as I was. He had seen the tears, there was no denying that I wasn't fine.

"Eponine," he said sighing. "I'm sorry things have been awkward between us. But I know enough about you to know that you're not fine. I know that it's hard on you to see them together." He paused. "You're not fine. So don't lie to me and tell me that you are."

I was shocked at how he talked to me, as though he knew a single thing about me. Anger surged through my blood, bubbling in my veins. However, it quickly subsided as I realized that it was irrational to be angry at him, after all he was just trying to assure that I was okay. Granted, he hadn't spoken to me in a little a month and half, but due to his helpful intentions, I couldn't possibly be angry. "I'm sorry," I said softly. "You're right, it's hard, but they're getting married now. I'm going to have to get used to the fact that they love one another."

"Oh, Eponine," He said slowly, awkwardly. "Allow me to accompany you home."

I nodded slowly, accepting the hand he offered to help me off the wall. We walked in silence until we reached my apartment building. I traced my eyes along the wall of the building, and then along the sky down to his face.

"Enjolras?" I asked as we began to walk along the pavement to the lobby door of the apartment building. When he nodded, a sign I took to mean continue, I began speaking again. "I have something to tell you." He looked directly at me and cocked an eyebrow. Suddenly, I felt extremely nauseous and nervous. I paused and couldn't find the proper way to start what I wanted to say.

He didn't need to know. He didn't need the trouble. He didn't need the extra burden. I kept telling myself these things, convincing myself that he wouldn't want to know. He looked at me expectantly, his blue eyes analyzing mine. "Thank you," I finally said. That was by no means what I wanted to tell him, but he nodded before ushering a quick "You're welcome" and heading off in the other direction.

As I watched him depart, I placed a hand over my still flat stomach, knowing full well what he didn't, what he wouldn't ever know.

**SO?! Let me know what you think! I'll get the next chapter up in the next few days. Oh, and I'm sorry this chapter is immensely boring. The story will definitely be picking up, but it takes a little bit of build up. Thanks for being so amazing you guys! On to the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while.. Between school, work, homework, and family I haven't really had time to sit down and type, and for that I am immensely sorry. Anyway, thank you to those of you that have reviewed. I absolutely love hearing your opinions on the story. Also, I just want you guys to know that I will be writing a chapter in Enjolras' point of view eventually, it just won't be this chapter. Thanks! Read and Review please?**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Les Miserables, and I never ever will. All rights to their rightful owners. **

**Chapter 4**

**EPONINE: **

The day wore steadily on, night approaching rapidly. Darkness began taking over the pale blue of the sky as the moon began to rise outside, shining out against the black of the night sky. I stared out of the window, my hands in soapy water doing the dinner dishes, as I tried to get my mind off Marius and Cosette. Nothing I did earlier could get my thoughts to waver from Marius for more than just a few seconds, and occupying myself with dishes was no different. Even listening to Dawn complain about her horrendous disaster of a date didn't even give my brain temporary relief.

"Eponine?" Dawn said off to my left, her voice full of annoyance. "Are you even listening to me?" When I glanced back at her apologetically, I noted that she had crossed her arms sassily over her chest and glared hunter green daggers right at me.

"What? Huh?" I asked, turning back to the sink full of soapy water and picking up a plate out of the suds to begin scrubbing. "I'm sorry," I said, realizing I had dazed off staring up at the night sky and wondering what Marius was doing right at this moment. "What were you saying?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it." She retorted, her voice full of irritation. "You don't care enough to listen anyway." I heard her murmur under her breath.

I sighed and took my hands out of the water so I could turn to face her, my hands dripping suds and water all over the clean floor. "Now that's not fair." I said, defeated. "You know I have a lot on my plate right now. And I'm sorry that my mind seems to be elsewhere tonight." I felt guilt surge through my veins, and I could understand what would lead her to believe that I didn't care to listen to her problems, minor though they were.

She nodded, "I'm sorry, Ep. It's unfair of me to say that of you. I realize you have a lot going on, but I miss my best friend. You know that girl that couldn't care about anyone else in the world, aside from Pontmercy? I miss her."

I nodded in understanding. I missed her, too. The old Eponine who did whatever she had to do to protect herself, who wasn't pining after a man that she could never possibly get her hands on, who wasn't so emotional, who wasn't all of a sudden having to change everything in her life because of one drunken night. I missed being able to be carefree, and I surely missed not caring that Marius was marrying Cosette, perfect rich little Cosette, and leaving me, poor miserable Eponine, behind in the dust. "I'm sorry," I answered finally after the silence became much too heavy to bear.

She stepped closer to me. "No, I'm sorry." She wrapped me in a hug, seeming not to care that my hands were still wet. She pulled away gently. "Did you tell him?" She asked, her eyes serious.

I looked down at the floor, shame running through every fiber in my being. "No. I tried, but I talked myself out of it. I kept telling myself that he didn't need to know." I knew that wasn't the answer she wanted, but the more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that he didn't want, or need to know.

"Eponine," she said slowly, her eyes scanning my face slowly. "You and I both know that he has the right to know. " Her voice was quiet.

"He doesn't though," I said slowly. "What he doesn't know won't kill him." I looked down at the floor, at my battered shoes. "Besides, I don't even know if he'd believe me. I'm not exactly the most pure person on the planet, Dawn. Please just stop bugging me about this. I'm stressed enough as it is."

She wrapped me into another hug. "Oh, honey, I know you are. You should get some rest. I'll finish up the dishes." I nodded into her shoulder, grateful for her offer, before she pulled away and rolled up her sleeves to stick her hands into the warm water.

I made my way slowly to my bedroom to curl up under my covers and hopefully fall fast asleep, however, as the night wore on and I listened to the sounds of Dawn getting ready for bed, and eventually settling down and snoring quietly, I tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. Dreams threatened to cloud my mind as I lay silently in my bed with my eyes closed lightly, as though it was the only thing that I could do to welcome the images that began to seep into my brain.

_Bright color swam to my eyes, flooding my vision. The room in which I was standing was large, and empty, except for a small ragged teddy bear sitting off in the corner. The walls were painted a dusty pink which looked to have been quite a few years old. The hardwood floors were scratched and battered as though they had seen a whole bombardment of feet scuffling across its surface. As my eyes scanned the room carefully, they fell back onto the stuffed bear._

_I stepped closer, picking up the soft child's toy, and wondered what child was missing their bear. However, as I analyzed it, I realized that it looked exactly like the stuffed companion I had once had when I was a little girl. It looked exactly like the bear I had spilled all my secrets, worries, fears, and dreams to, the bear that I had loved and carried everywhere I went back when life was still semi-good. I turned it over in my hands, the soft fur bringing a collage of memories flowing back to me. _

_I looked down at it in the palms of my hand and realized the likelihood that this was my bear were very slim. After all, I had lost my companion to my father's drunken wrath one night when he decided to rip it up and tell me to live in the real world. I remember crying out, pleading for him to stop. I remember the evil glint in his eye as he made me watch as he tore my best friend limb from limb. As I looked down on it now, I noticed that it was older, the brown color faded and worn. It was missing an eye, and it had a small rip behind its tiny brown ear. It looked as though it had seen quite a few rough handlers in its' day, and even though I knew that this definitely could not be the bear I had lost to my father, I felt an odd connection to the toy in my hands, as though it was, and always had been, a missing part of me. _

_I cuddled the tattered bear up to my cheek, realizing the fur was still soft as a cloud, and closed my eyes. However, my eyes shot open as soon as I heard feet scraping across the floor behind the closed door. I cradled the bear close to my chest, as though it was the only thing that could protect me from any intruder that could come tumbling through the door. Fear surged through my veins, and I thought the emotion a ridiculous reaction to a tiny noise, but still I shook in my worn out boots as I waited for whoever was on the other side to open the door and enter the room. Poised to pounce, I watched as the doorknob turned slowly. _

"_Eponine?" A much too familiar voice asked, as a head full of dark blonde curls poked into the room. "What are you doing in here?" He asked, his brilliant blue eyes scanning me over quickly. He looked so different, older, as though he had aged ten years since I had seen him last. He had replaced his infamous red jacket with a simple grey overcoat, and I could no longer find the revolution patch pinned to his jacket. His hair was still as curly as ever, but it no longer looked unmanageable and was darker, and it was cut short enough that no wisps fell into his eyes. His eyes. His all too familiar crystal blue eyes were the only things to remain the same. There was still a spark of electricity that lurked in the pools of baby blue that had been retained despite everything else having changed. _

_He stepped fully into the room, a grin plastered on his granite etched face. "You look as though you've seen a ghost, are you alright?" His voice was light as he crossed the room to stand right in front of me, and reached out to touch my cheek softly. _

_Confused, I drew back a few steps out of his reach. "I'm fine?" I answered, my voice quiet. I analyzed his puzzled expression, and drew a bit farther away. "What are you doing here?"_

_He looked at me as though I was crazy, and then answered slowly. "Making sure you are doing what Joly said and taking it easy. I can see you're not. Are you sure you're alright?" He stepped closer to me, and instinctively I took as many steps as he took in the opposite direction, distancing myself from him as much as possible. _

"_I'm fine," I answered, feeling irritation bubble in my blood that he didn't' believe me. "I'm just confused as to why you're here, and why you're talking to me…" I let the sentence hang in the air. Usually, Enjolras wasn't like this at all. He usually spent all his time planning the revolution, and was constantly giving me the cold shoulder especially after the night we'd had at Marius' engagement gala. However, his expression now told me that he genuinely cared if I was okay or not, and for some reason that was unnerving to me. Enjolras was not someone that would care about a street urchin like me, and his sudden interest in me made me feel very uneasy, though I couldn't say why. _

"_Eponine," He said slowly, shaking his head and chuckling softly. "Look at yourself. You're pregnant. You didn't expect me to just leave you alone at let you disobey Joly's orders did you?" He looked at me seriously, and as though I was a complete fool for wondering why he was here. Slowly, I looked down toward my toes, only to find that they were no longer there, or rather, that I could no longer see them. Instead, when I looked down I saw only the enormous curve where my previously flat stomach had been. _

"_So you know that you're the father?" I asked, nervously. _

"_What are you talking about Eponine?" he asked slowly, looking at me like I was an idiot. "Of course I know! Why wouldn't I know that you were carrying my child? We've been married for almost four years and we have two other little girls together. In fact, you're holding the bear that belongs to one of them now. I think you need to rest?"_

_Married? Children? The words swam around my head, making me feel nauseous. And for some reason, those words sounded awkward coming from his mouth. "What?" I asked, suddenly very confused. _

My eyelids shot open to the dark of my bedroom. At the realization that it had all been a dream, I let out a sigh of relief, and set to trying to figure out what it all meant. I placed a hand on my stomach, scared that I would find that I hadn't just been dreaming, but relieved when I felt that it was still flat as it had ever been. The one thing I could gather from my dream was that Enjolras could never find out the baby I was carrying was his. He would worry too much, he would care too much, and it would end in disaster. The already rocky relationship I had with him would crumble, and he would never be able to find someone to fall in love with (as if that could even happen) because, knowing Enjolras, he'd feel tied down to me, and I was not comfortable with being the source of any of this. No, Enjolras could never find out that this child is his.

**Thoughts? Let Me know what you think, I'll try to get the next chapter up tomorrow, but life is kind of taking it's toll on me at the moment. Hopefully, with summer break finally here, I'll be able to update much more often but we'll see how that goes. Anyway, Let me know what you think, and I'm thinking that the next chapter will be in Enjolras' point of view! Thanks!**


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